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The agreement between the camps of Azinga Fuzile and Asanda Gingqi for them to feature in separate fights in September has seemingly been reneged on.
Fuzile will not be part of the Xaba Promotions tournament at Selborne Park on September 26 even though the promoter and the boxer’s manager, Mla Tengimfene, had an agreement for him to feature.
Tengimfene and XP boss Ayanda Matiti reached a deal for Gingqi and Fuzile to return in September before their highly publicised April 24 junior lightweight clash at the Orient Theatre in KuGompo City.
The bout, which pitted Mdantsane against Duncan Village in the latest derby between the two townships, broke records as the most talked-about on social media.
However, there were those who questioned the matchup, especially regarding the future prospects of the loser.
But Matiti promised neither boxer would be ignored regardless of the outcome.
Though Fuzile is not contracted to the promoter, Matiti promised to feature him in his September show and help steer him towards a return to world ratings.
However, after the controversial outcome of their April bout, when a section of spectators felt Gingqi deserved to win instead of Fuzile, relations between Tengimfene and Matiti appeared to have thawed.
Tengimfene confirmed his charge would not be part of the September event.
“We are working on something else for Azinga, but no offer was made for him to be part of the September show,” he said.
He would not confirm whether Fuzile’s absence could be related to the debatable decision he was given, which left Matiti complaining bitterly in a post-fight TV interview.
“I do not know whether XP is still peeved by the outcome, but we will not wait for that for our boxer,” Tengimfene said.
Matiti said he was yet to hold a meeting with Tengimfene regarding the issue.
Mdantsane’s Gingqi, whose stock rose exponentially due to his excellent display, will possibly defend his South African junior lightweight title against Gauteng’s Katlego Khanyisa.
The tournament will also see the return of South African junior featherweight champion Siyabulela Hem against an opponent yet to be announced.
“We are working on a number of opponents for Hem. Nothing has been finalised,” Matiti said.
It will be interesting to see in which division Hem will campaign in his ring return since he was upset by Ardy Katompa in the April show.
Despite the bout taking place in the featherweight, Hem appeared weight-drained before retiring in his corner at the end of the ninth round for his first knockout loss of his professional career.
Daily Dispatch